Your stories

It’s a common assumption that transgender people (regardless of how late in life they might decide to transition), know from an early age that they were “different” from their peers and recall instances in childhood where they expressed a gender identity contrasting their birth sex. Girls who cut their hair short, boys who preferred to wear dresses. Of course, gender identity...

I call myself a ‘Professional Rebel’. I inspire people for a living. I help people, who feel they don’t belong, remember who they are and find their place in the world. So, just imagine the field day my little head went on when me, a happiness teacher, went to the doctors and asked for ‘happy pills’. Surely that’s cheating, right? Well, that’s what...

When I was 14, I really learnt what it was like to be depressed. I didn’t understand it, but I felt it. It lead to a year full of substance abuse and self-harm. It was the start of a spiral that I was heading down. By the time I was 18, I had developed the unhealthy coping mechanisms of sex and drama. I would play with people’s feelings to make myself feel wanted and needed. I liked...

Ever feel that you don't know where to turn next? Or you don't know what support is out there? Well, there is hope. There is the right help out there to help you move on with your life. And, when you find the right treatment and the right counsellor, you won't look back.I suffer from borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, so my mental health needs are pretty...

Known for daring documentaries that tackle sex, body image and social taboos, Anna Richardson is brave, risky and strong. She is a TV presenter that pushes boundaries and sparks conversation (we’re looking at you, Naked Attraction). Off camera however, she has battled a series of mental health issues, from anxiety, to depression and agoraphobia. In this honest interview with Happiful, Anna...

My name is Brez, I am 32 years old and I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and depression 13 years ago, after the death of my grandmother. Looking back now, I would actually say my anxiety was present from the age of about seven - I went through some pretty traumatic times for a youngster. But, the official diagnosis wasn’t until my adult years when the anxiety became...

I lost my brother in 1997 through suicide. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. I found it very hard to deal with, so I just hid all the hurt that I was feeling. I ended up with depression, anorexia and bulimia. I saw a psychiatrist, which didn't help. A few years later, I lost other relatives. I just couldn't cope. So, in 2016, I saw a psychologist and had psychodynamic therapy. It was the...

As a child, I did not look like what most people picture as a kid with ADHD. I was shy and quiet. In school, I would daydream, only partially listening to my second-grade teacher drone on about long division. That year, my teacher told my mother that, when she made eye contact with me, she got a “flat affect”. Then, in the summer of 1990, my stepfather was diagnosed with a brain...

Anxiety, GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder), emetophobia (fear of vomiting), depression, anorexia. These are just a few of the labels I have picked up in my 21 short years on this Earth. It’s usually great to get a diagnosis, then we know what we’re dealing with or how to make it better. But, with mental illness, it’s rarely straightforward! I’ve had these diagnoses for...

Dodie Clark or dodie, as she prefers, is a British singer-songwriter and YouTuber. She’s known for her sweet, understated vocals and infatuating personality, but there’s more to her than that. With nearly two million subscribers across her two YouTube channels, her audience have become a sort of support group. They adore her. They adore her not only for her music and videos, but for...